Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Nan-hee’s face brightened instantly. She told the person to send it over immediately and hung up.
The profile arrived a moment later. Having just reached home, Nan-hee finished parking but stayed in her car to open the file and look through it.
Her jaw dropped.
“My goodness, things are finally falling into place.”
She never imagined such an impeccable candidate for a son-in-law would be hidden away in that remote countryside. It felt like finding a diamond in the rough.
Of course, if that incident hadn't happened, she could have easily found someone similar in Seoul, but she wasn't about to complain.
Sigh, how was I to know the girl would suddenly go boy-crazy?
A shudder ran through her as she recalled the day the bolt from the blue struck.
Adultery.
It was a word she was too ashamed to even utter. When the scandal broke, Bom had been slapped by Jung-gi until her lip burst.
Of all the men she could have met, why did she have to go around seeing a married man? Nan-hee found her immature daughter pathetic.
[I told you, it’s not true! How many times do I have to say it? Why won't you believe me? Why?!]
Bom had cried sorrowfully, but the evidence was far too clear. There were even vivid photos; as Jung-gi said, she was a disgrace to the family.
[You’re a disgrace, so get out this instant! I’ll live as if you don’t exist!]
It was Nan-hee who had begged and pleaded with the furious Jung-gi to finally settle on sending Bom down to the countryside as an exchange teacher for two years.
Part of her wanted to make Bom quit teaching altogether and marry her off quickly, but Jung-gi was the problem. He had been furious, asking how they could possibly send "something like that" into another family. This was the compromise she had come up with.
It broke Nan-hee’s heart to think of Bom wasting away in the countryside for two years, but knowing her husband’s temper, that was the minimum amount of time needed for things to quiet down.
Nan-hee’s plan was to start arranging blind dates again as soon as Bom returned to Seoul, connecting her with a respectable family.
With her return to broadcasting, time had passed faster than expected. There was a little over six months left until Bom was due back in Seoul, and she hadn't expected such a great opportunity to arise so suddenly...
“My husband will definitely approve of this one. One hundred percent.”
Excited, Nan-hee started to type a reply to Bom but then put her phone back away.
I need to prepare this one without any hitches.
She intended to go inside, check the man’s profile one more time, and then send it to Bom. Nan-hee began to hum a tune.
⋆★⋆
“Ugh, what is it now...”
The neighbor’s dog had been barking since early morning.
Bom woke up, rubbing her swollen eyes. She checked the clock on the nightstand; it was just past nine in the morning.
“Did Grandma Sun-i go somewhere?”
Grandma Sun-i’s house had a gentle Hwang-gu. He was a fellow with a dark patch around his snout who rarely ever barked.
Bom used to have no interest in who lived in her neighborhood, but... Grandma Sun-i had been the first to visit her, bringing food and saying Bom reminded her of her granddaughter.
Was this what they called neighborly affection? Now, Bom found herself subtly looking out for Grandma Sun-i and Hwang-gu.
Starting to feel worried, Bom dragged her heavy body out of bed. Out of habit, she fumbled for her phone, and then yesterday’s events suddenly flashed through her mind.
Right! The text to Mom...
Oh no! She had completely forgotten.
She hurriedly opened her messages. Her eyes moved quickly. As she scrolled down the chat list, a look of considerable disappointment crossed her face.
There were no new messages. Should she try calling? She thought about it for a moment but decided against it. She remembered Yoon-cheong’s phone call from not long ago.
What if Mom asks me if I really have to come back to Seoul, too? What do I do then?
Bom shook off the anxious thoughts.
After washing up, Bom threw on some comfortable clothes and stepped out the front door. The barking was still going on outside. She walked to the left side of the rooftop and craned her neck.
Hwang-gu was biting something strange. Looking closer, it was a person’s hand. The person was obscured by a tree and hard to see.
“Hwang-gu! No!”
To think that gentle dog would suddenly cause trouble! Bom hurried down the stairs. Passing through her gate, she came to a halt in front of the neighbor’s gate.
“...What are you doing here?”
“Bom!”
The person whose finger was caught in Hwang-gu’s mouth was Jae-gyu. He was crouched in front of the large doghouse, locked in a standoff. Ha, she hadn't expected to see him today, too.
“I was out for a walk.”
“In our neighborhood?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps it was time for a haircut, as Jae-gyu’s hair, which had been short when she first saw him, had grown quite a bit.
Today’s performance tee was dark gray, and he was wearing light gray sweatpants with slippers. He truly looked like a neighborhood bum.
After scanning Jae-gyu from head to toe, Bom turned her gaze to Hwang-gu. The dog was still gnawing away at Jae-gyu’s finger.
“That’s dirty, Hwang-gu!”
Bom quickly tickled Hwang-gu’s neck, making him spit out Jae-gyu’s finger. Jae-gyu looked offended.
“Bom. I washed my hands thoroughly.”
“Oh, it’s not that. I just thought that would make him open his mouth faster.”
“Does this fella actually understand what you're saying?”
Jae-gyu stood up and washed the dog slobber off his hand at the outdoor tap next to the doghouse.
“I see him whenever I pass by, and he’s very smart.”
That aside. He came all the way from Shinsu-eup to Cheongseol-eup for a walk? Bom spoke with a suspicious look in her eyes.
“Really, why did you come?”
Jae-gyu flicked the water off his hands and spoke playfully.
“I came to make a proposal.”
“What kind?”
“Let’s go grocery shopping together.”
Why go grocery shopping all of a sudden at this hour? However, the image of her empty refrigerator flashed through her mind.
Online grocery shopping wasn't easy here. For one, quick delivery didn't exist, and she worried about the freshness of items sent by regular courier.
Therefore, shopping in person was best, but even that was difficult without a car. To be honest, there wasn't much to buy at the small supermarket at the entrance of Cheongseol-eup.
There was a Hanaro Cheongseol Mart near the border of the next town, but it was about a fifteen-minute walk. It was a difficult distance to cover if she was buying a lot of heavy items.
What should she do? It was a good opportunity.
“Are you solving a math problem or something?”
As she wavered, Jae-gyu let out a chuckle.
“Is there food in your fridge right now, or not?”
“There isn't...”
“Then let’s go.”
Jae-gyu took the lead. Caught up in the moment, Bom followed after him.
And so, they ended up grocery shopping together.
The sky was particularly high today, and a cool breeze was blowing. Bom called out to Jae-gyu as he headed toward his car.
“Um.”
“Yes?”
“Shall we just walk? To the Hanaro Cheongseol Mart.”
Jae-gyu’s eyebrows rose slightly, as if it wasn't the answer he expected. The corners of his mouth curled up even further.
“The weather today is truly one for the books.”
“I know. It feels like spring.”
The path was quiet, and the breeze carried the scent of flowers. As they walked along the firm, unpaved dirt road, something ticklish touched her cheek.
Swish.
“Ack!”
“It’s foxtail grass.”
Unable to help himself, Jae-gyu had plucked some foxtail grass. He began to tease her, tickling her with it. He really couldn't just stay still.
“Are you an elementary schooler?”
“Did you know? People used to eat this foxtail grass back in the day.”
“This?”
As they walked side by side, Jae-gyu began to tell a story. According to him, during times when food was scarce, it was mixed with rice or barley and used as a famine crop.
“If you dry this out and brew it, it’ll cure eye diseases right up. It’s a medicinal plant.”
He added that it also played a role in blocking harmful substances and would be a useful crop in the future.
Bom found herself drawn into Jae-gyu’s storytelling, listening intently to the trivial information. She was so preoccupied with his story that she didn't even realize he had tucked the foxtail grass into the crown of her head.
She only discovered it after arriving at Hanaro Cheongseol Mart and catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror at the entrance.
“What is this? You did this, didn't you, Jae-gyu!”
Bom’s face turned red. It looked like a sprout was growing out of her head.
“I put an antenna there so I could send you telepathy.”
“Forget it!”
She hurriedly reached up and pulled the foxtail grass from her hair.
He was a truly ridiculous man. She had gone through the course of all-girls middle school, high school, and university, but that didn't mean she hadn't met men. There had been several blind dates arranged by her mother. Naturally, none of the men she met there were like this.
In other words, she had no immunity. Though she acted disgusted as she removed the foxtail grass, she couldn't bring herself to throw it away and slipped it into her pocket.
He is funny, though. I’ll look at it later when I’m feeling down.
The mart was cool, perhaps because they had the air conditioning on. Since it wasn't that hot today, it even felt a bit chilly. Bom stuck close to Jae-gyu.
“Shall we do daily necessities, meat, vegetables, and then the fruit corner?”
It was a planned route. The single-story store was quite spacious. Jae-gyu pushed the cart while Bom scanned the shelves and picked out what she needed.
While they were shopping, Jae-gyu stepped outside for a moment to take a call. Bom was looking at new products in the detergent aisle when she felt a vibration in her pocket.
She pulled out her phone to find a message from her mother. Upon checking the message, Bom froze.
[I’ve set up a blind date. Go next weekend.]
She hadn't gone on any blind dates since coming down here, so it was only natural...
Looks like I’m going up to Seoul for a blind date.
It was the Seoul she had wanted to go back to so badly, but the thought of actually having to go made her sigh. She didn't want to go. Just how long did she have to keep going on these dates?
She hated the suffocating atmosphere, and she was tired of having the same conversations every time. Still, her mother would never give up.
As she frowned and scrolled further down the message thread, she saw a series of links to portal site articles. Bom clicked on an article, and her jaw dropped in sheer shock.